The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-12-01
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
Personal.


A. NJ. ROcher Sergeant, Co. L, 81 Mich. Cav,
Mitchell, Oak, corrects the recent statement
that the I'd Mich. Cav. was in only 10 engage
ments during the rebellion, aud SAYS that il was
nearer hundred. Capt. Thatcher, in the his
tory of the regiment, entities his book "a
Hundred Battles in the West" and the writer
thinks he puts il very mild.
James II. Wurthen, Co. T, 9th Iowa, Oberlin.
Kan, was one of the six men referred to by
COmrade Harvey Reed as captured by Whceler's
men near Rockville, the rest of whom were
murdered. Three of the men were of the 9th
Iowa, one of the 10th Ohio, one of the 33d Ind.
and the other Of the 100h Ind. They were
captured while eating dinner without leaving
guard out; placed in a room with a sentry at
each door. while consultation was had over
their final disposition. While standing in the
room the writer made a rush through a win
dow, followed by his comrades. The seutries
fired upon them and good deal of shooting
was heard while he was hiding in the adjacent
brush for two or three hours, but he never
saw or heard of any Of the other five. He
knows that the two men of his regiment never
returned.
Lafayette Fraris, Co. C, 4sth Ohio, Washing
ton, ID. c., was badly wounded at the assault
on Fort Blakely, April 8, 1865, and had water
and food brought out to him under the walls by
Comrade A. j.. Shumard, who did it at the risk
of his life. COmrade Fraris would like to hear
from Shumard.
Allen Berry, Co. X, 14th Ind, Mecosta,
Mich, writes regarding Comrade Pattersons
inquiry about the stolen goose that the goose
belonged TO the 18th Ind and was stolen from
il by the 32d Ohio down at Cheat Mountain in
the Fall of 1861, and stolen from the fOragers
10y the 25th Ohio He thinks COmrade Patter-
son has not much TO say.
Chas. A. Lnthecum, Co ], 9th No., River
SIDE Cal. says the discussion over the origin
of the term Grab root reminds him of a
little incident. While the Sixteenth Corps lay
At Cairo in September, 1864, the men were paid
off, and that night filed the theater there
where an emotional play was on the boards.
When the distressed heroine of the play
despairingiy exclaimed what shall / do"
some "yahoo " in a blue blouse yelled, Grab
root" That stopped the play for few mo-
ments.
II. II. Parker, 9th Ill. Cav, Charleston, Mo-,
says he is old and very poor, aud has never yet
received apcnsion. lie asks the old comrades
TO assist him in procuring him evidence if they
can.
John Morrison, Co. F, 10th Ohio, Albany,
Ore, has watched The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
| for news of his old regiment, and wants his
comrades TO wake up He says they were men
who never turned their backs on the rebels,
except at Shiloh, when everybody did. If COM
rade Dckerson, his old company teamster. is
still living, he wants TO know if he has the
| saddle he captured at Shiloh.
Seth Burgess, Co. l., 9th VT, Prentice, Wis,
/ tries TO settle the controversy about the en-
| trance irho Richmond by claiming that the 9th
/ Vt. led the column, followed by the 18th Wis.
and the 18th n. III.
Luther Andrews. Co. !, 9Th r. I. II. A., Pine
| City, y. Y, has never seen anything in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE from his company and
| thinks il is about time. lie wants to know if
his regiment ever holds Reunions, aud where.
Wood DOsglsss, Go. II, 10th Pa, Kansas
| City, No, corrects COmTade John 4. McPeck,
| l26th Ohio, regarding the assertion that the
| Fifth Corps was not engaged at Spottsylvania
until late Sunday evening, May 3, when the
fact was that the Corps was in action before
daylight that day.
John L. Rogers Sergeant, Co. G., lth Ohio
Cav, and James Roberts. Co. G. same regiment,
both Of Ironton. o., write gosspy letters about
| the famous Corp'l Pike. So much has been
said about Pixies wonderful deeds that it
would require half dozen columns to collate
the letters already in hand.
James ii. PendletOn, &c. G., Goth KY. Vine
Grove, KY, says there arc mighty few YAM
KEGS in his locality and especially ex-Union
soldiers. He likes 10 hear from comrades and
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE is Godsend to
him.
Daniel L. Cornell, 10th Wis. L. A., En- Claire,
| Wis, states that il was his battery that was
attached TO Kilpatrick's command during the
march TO the sea. He gives the address of
three comrades of his old battery, as follows !:
Madison b. Wheeler, Knapp Station; James
steuart, Ogala, and Henry DarrOw, Land
| Creek all in Wisconsin
Griffith Lyle, Downs, Kan, says that the
bullet which he speaks of in the picket
Shots of Oct. "a is one that struck him on the
hip, but is not now in his body.
Random Shots.
Wilbur II. Weber, 9th Mich, Lampasas, Tex,
| &C. Ia 4.
| surprise that anyone should think his scTeed
about the battle there of August 1864 was in
tended 10 detract from the lith Me- for having
been surprised by rebel sOrtie from the
works. He thinks Col. Porters Indignation
was uncalled for; but if, as Col. Porter asserts.
there was no surprise, and Gen. Williams and
Others knew there was TO be an attack then
they were wilIully criminal in not making
arrangements TO meet it. The loss of 80 killed
and 20 wounded was taken from the American
Encyclopaedia, which he considers good au-
thority.
Chas. NJ. Garrall. Co: /, 25th Ill., Joplin. Mo-,
says that at the battle of Chckamauga his
regiment was in three charges the afternoon
of Sept. 10; they crossed a cotton field, from
which the rebels drove them three times. In
the middle of the field was ditch in which
two tield-guns were lying, aud from which the
horses had been cut. Neither troops made any
attempt 10 get these guns, but they remained
there as cur army was finally driven from the
field at sunset. He has an impression that the
guns belonged 10 the 9Th Ind. battery, but is
not certain. Who can tell?
j.. w. Grant, 9Th Ohio, Saugatuck, Mich,
writes in relation to the recent story "A Visit
TO Bull Run" and especially with reference TO
the statement that the rebel Black Horse Cav
airy was not in action at all at the first Bull
Run. He says that he was with Gen. Shields's
command at Winchester in March, 1852, when
: a cOmrade found Winchester paper published
the year before, which contained nine verses
of doggorel poetry devoted TO the prominent
part alleged TO have been taken by the Black
Horse Cavalry in the battle named.
Mat. +. kippax, Co. A, 18th U. s., San An
tonic, Tex, gives a new version OF the stable
call: Go TO the stable as soon as you are able,
and give your horses some water and hay.
(Repeat) For if you don't do it, you surely
will rue it, for you will lay in the guard house
all the next day"
p. Carry, Co. C, seth Ohio, Sigourney, Iowa,
7 writes story of what he calls the Charge OF
the l91 ammunition and ration wagons, led by
Gen. Banks, at Sabine Crossroads" The wagons
were captured and the Thirteenth and Nine
teenth Corps driven back until they were saved
the next day by A. J. Smiths Sixteenth Corps
at Pleasant Hill.
II j. V. Albertson, Co. II, 25th n. j., criticizes
COmrade Carpenter, 59th N.Y., regarding Fred
ericksburg and Suffolk Burnside made no
crossing at Fredericksburg in September. but
did on Dec. IL, 1862. The s9th n. Y. did not